What can come over from Clover
Every restaurant is different, so treat this as a planning map, not a promise. Where a row says “Confirm with your rep,” we could not verify it on a primary Shift4 source.
| What | How it usually moves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Menu items and prices | Supported conversion | Shift4 lists a Clover inventory export as a supported conversion source for items. Confirm the fields for your account. |
| Modifiers (add-ons and choices) | Export, then import | Modifier groups may need review after the inventory export. Treat them as an export, then check each one. |
| Employees, jobs, and permissions | Rebuild by hand | Jobs, pay rates, and permissions are entered from your records. PINs move through a secure method. Nobody gets broader access than you approve. |
| Customer records | Export, then import | Clover can export customers. Load only the data you are permitted to keep, and confirm the scope with your rep. |
| Gift card balances | Confirm with your rep | Balances are money you still owe customers. Export the balance report and ask your rep whether and how they carry over. |
| Loyalty points | Confirm with your rep | Points programs rarely map one for one. Decide how existing points are honored and confirm what can move. |
| Reporting history | Export and keep a copy | Past sales and tax reports stay with the old system. Export the ones you need for taxes and audits. |
Menu items and prices
Supported conversion
Shift4 lists a Clover inventory export as a supported conversion source for items. Confirm the fields for your account.
Modifiers (add-ons and choices)
Export, then import
Modifier groups may need review after the inventory export. Treat them as an export, then check each one.
Employees, jobs, and permissions
Rebuild by hand
Jobs, pay rates, and permissions are entered from your records. PINs move through a secure method. Nobody gets broader access than you approve.
Customer records
Export, then import
Clover can export customers. Load only the data you are permitted to keep, and confirm the scope with your rep.
Gift card balances
Confirm with your rep
Balances are money you still owe customers. Export the balance report and ask your rep whether and how they carry over.
Loyalty points
Confirm with your rep
Points programs rarely map one for one. Decide how existing points are honored and confirm what can move.
Reporting history
Export and keep a copy
Past sales and tax reports stay with the old system. Export the ones you need for taxes and audits.
What to gather before you switch
- Your contract end date and any early termination fee in the current agreement
- A recent processing statement (the monthly bill from your card processor)
- Who owns the hardware: bought outright, leased, or financed, and what happens to it if you leave
- Every integration in use: accounting, payroll, reservations, delivery apps, and loyalty
- Your online ordering setup and the web addresses customers use today
- Gift card liability: the total balance customers still hold, and how it is tracked
- The list of Clover apps you pay for, and what each one does for you
- Any hardware lease or financing paperwork
Typical timeline from Clover (planning estimate, varies by setup)
Step 1. Gather your records: About 1 week
Exports, screenshots, statements, and contract dates. Varies with how organized they are.
Step 2. Map and approve: 1 to 2 weeks
Match old settings to the new system and approve taxes, pay rates, permissions, and prices. Varies with menu size.
Step 3. Configure and test: 1 to 2 weeks
Shift4 programs the system, then you run test tickets, payments, printers, and reports. Varies with Shift4 scheduling and hardware delivery.
Step 4. Parallel run: A few days to 1 week
Run slower shifts on the new system while the old one stays available. Varies.
Step 5. Cutover day: 1 day
Pick a slow day, freeze changes in the old system, and switch. Plan for hiccups.
Step 6. First weeks live: 2 to 4 weeks
Watch reports, tips, and payouts against the old system and fix gaps. Varies.
Apps and taxes are set up by hand even when items convert, so leave room in the mapping step.
These ranges are Norvet planning estimates, not Shift4 commitments. Your timeline depends on Shift4 scheduling, hardware delivery, your menu size, and how quickly decisions get made.
Risks and how to reduce them
Something does not work on the first busy night
Run a parallel period on slow shifts, keep the old system available until the new one is accepted, and write down who to call.
Cutover day goes badly
Pick a slow day, freeze menu changes the day before, and have the old system export ready as a fallback.
Staff are not ready
Train the people who use the register on their real jobs, such as server, bartender, and manager, before the cutover date.
Gift card and card-on-file balances get stranded
Get the balance reports first, decide how each balance is honored, and confirm with Shift4 what can move before you cancel anything.
Specific to this switch
A Clover app that handles online ordering or payroll may have no direct replacement, so test the substitute before cutover.
Who this switch tends to suit, and who it does not
Business types that often fit: Counter service, Quick service (QSR), Full service, Multi-unit. This is a starting point, not a verdict. A statement review tells you more.
Often a good fit
- Independent counter-service and cafe owners who use Clover for the basics and want a restaurant-first system.
- Restaurants that outgrew a general-purpose setup and now need table service, kitchen routing, or handhelds.
- Small groups where one clean menu can be reused across locations, after Shift4 confirms the multi-location setup.
Probably not a fit if
- A hardware lease or financing term runs for years and the payoff outweighs the benefit.
- You rely on several Clover apps with no tested replacements.
- You are happy with your current workflow and cost, and your statement review shows no reason to move.
What needs to be compared before you leave Clover
A POS switch is a business-process migration. The safe sequence is source capture, field mapping, owner approval, target configuration, testing, cutover, and acceptance. Do not cancel the source system until the records and workflows you need have been accounted for.
- Restaurant menu, modifiers, taxes, discounts, and employee access
- Clover App Market tools the restaurant actually depends on
- Kitchen printers, KDS, handhelds, tables, and tip workflows
- Customer, loyalty, and gift-card programs
- Accounting, payroll, delivery, and online-ordering connections
Export this before canceling Clover
- Inventory / menu and modifier exports
- Customer export
- Transaction and settlement reports
- Current app list and app billing
- Gift-card and loyalty balances
- Hardware lease or financing documents
Watch-outs
Clover hardware leases or financing can survive a POS switch.
Third-party Clover apps may not have direct replacements.
Clover hardware should not be assumed compatible with SkyTab.
Tax and app settings may require manual reconfiguration even when core item data converts.
Conversion-path note
Norvet’s Shift4 onboarding material reviewed in 2026 references a Clover inventory export path. Treat that as a starting point, not a promise that every Clover object or third-party app transfers automatically.
Questions owners ask about leaving Clover
Will my Clover menu transfer to SkyTab?
Shift4 references a Clover inventory export path. Items are the likeliest part to move. Treat taxes, apps, and settings as hand entry, and plan a review pass.
Do I still owe money on my Clover hardware if I switch?
It can happen. Leases and financing can continue after you stop using the device. Read your paperwork and ask Clover or your reseller before you cancel.
Will my Clover apps work with SkyTab?
No, Clover apps run on Clover. List each app, decide what it does for you, and test a replacement before cutover.
Is there a trial period if I switch to SkyTab?
Trial periods and agreement lengths can vary by offer and by partner. Ask your rep to confirm the trial period and the agreement length in writing before you sign, and ask what it costs to leave early.
Who does what
Norvet is a Trident Merchant Solutions partner. Trident partners with Shift4 (the parent company of SkyTab). Shift4 provides SkyTab and the card processing, and Shift4 programs and installs the system. Norvet helps gather and check your information and coordinates with the partner team.
Also useful: the restaurant processing cost calculator and the POS lock-in test.
Sources
- Norvet POS Migration Extraction Playbook, reviewed 2026-09-13 (Shift4 onboarding form conversion sources)
- Norvet research on Shift4 Dine, 2026-10-07 (pages on shift4.com were not machine-readable that day, so unconfirmed items are marked)
Last reviewed 2026-10-11.